Hawai’i Community Foundation announced today that the family of the late U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye have established a memorial fund in his honor. The fund was created at the request of Irene Hirano Inouye, and will continue to help the organizations and causes that the Senator supported over the years. Contributions can be made to the Daniel K. Inouye Fund, Hawai’i Community Foundation, 827 Fort Street Mall, Honolulu, Hawai’i 96813 or online at www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org.

“All of us here at the Hawai’i Community Foundation had the privilege of working closely with the Senator and his staff and witnessing the tremendous leadership and inspiration he provided to so many,” said Kelvin H. Taketa, Hawai’i Community Foundation president and CEO. “Beyond the legacy of what he did for our community, we will miss his courage, grace and humor.”

Inouye passed away on Monday, Dec. 17, 2012 at the age of 88 from respiratory complications. He was the longest-living serving member of the U.S. Senate prior to his death, with 49 years of service.

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with your special someone at the 18th annual ‘Q’uisine of Hearts, a satisfying brunch that annually benefits 2000 Kona-Kohala keiki through American Culinary Federation (ACF) Chef and Child nutrition awareness programs. Time is 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 10 at the Hilton Waikoloa Village.

Enjoy a tantalizing bruschetta buffet, plus omelet and eggs benedict stations, offered by West Hawaii community college students. Attendees will be tempted with bite-sized pastry specialties by local pastry chefs, bakers, chocolatiers, ice cream and gelato makers. Also on tap is 100 percent Kona coffee, handcrafted ales, champagne and wine.

Serenading the scrumptious “eats” will be romantic piano music, including some of your favorite love songs. During the silent auction, bid for “sweetheart” floral arrangements, private catered dinners by top Big Isle chefs and tempting cookies and cakes prepared by culinary students.

Tickets, priced at $45 for adults and $20 for children aged 5 and up, will be available for purchase starting Dec. 21 at Kailua Candy Company and Kona Wine Market in Kona or at Tropical Dreams Ice Cream in Waimea. New this year, save by purchasing tickets online at brownpapertickets.com. Tickets can also be conveniently charged by phone at 808-329-2522.

‘Q’uisine of Hearts, sponsored by the ACF Kona Kohala Chefs Association, has a Chef and Child Foundation focus. The CCF team in Kona provides nutrition education to children and families. In addition, CCF supports Green Tables, a farm and garden philanthropic initiative for children by Les Dames d’Escoffier Hawaii in Waimea.

The most recent edition of the Crime Stoppers television program “Hawaiʻi Island’s Most Wanted” highlights two men wanted on warrants and a third man who has already been located.

The new episode begins airing Friday.

Ted Barney John

In it, police ask for the public’s help in locating a man they have asked for the public’s help in finding before. Ted Barney John, 44, is still wanted on warrants for bail jumping, unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle and third-degree theft. Now, he is also wanted for questioning in a felony theft case. In September, the suspect in the theft case offered to do work for an 87-year-old Kailua-Kona man. After the victim paid the man for materials, the suspect cashed the check and never completed the work. John is described as 5-foot-7, 145 pounds with hazel eyes and brown hair.

Joseph Roy Carrion

The television program also asks for help in locating a 32-year-old Oahu man wanted on two bench warrants for contempt of court. Joseph Roy Carrion frequently travels to the Big Island and may be in the Waikoloa area. He is described as 5-foot-5, 165 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

In this latest edition of “Hawaiʻi Island’s Most Wanted,” which was pre-recorded, Officer Patrick Menino also asks for help locating 43-year-old Michael Torres, who was wanted on a bench warrant and for questioning in connection with drug and auto theft cases. After the TV program was recorded, Police located and arrested Torres.

Police ask that anyone with information about either of the other two men call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311 or Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential. Crime Stoppers does not tape record phone calls or subscribe to caller ID.

“Hawaiʻi Island’s Most Wanted” is a project of Crime Stoppers Hilo, Inc., which is a partnership of the business community, the media and the police. It was inspired by the national TV show, “America’s Most Wanted.” The program airs on Na Leo O Hawaii Community Television Channel 54 on Sundays at 5 p.m. and Fridays at 5:30 p.m. It also airs intermittently on Channel 53.

Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development Dallas Tonsager today announced funding to help reduce energy costs for residents of remote rural areas where the cost of producing electricity is extremely high. The funds are being provided through USDA’s High Energy Cost Grant program.

The program is administered by USDA Rural Development’s Rural Utilities Service. Recipients use funds to improve energy generation, transmission or distribution facilities that serve communities where the average residential cost for home energy exceeds 275 percent of the national average. Grants are available to businesses, non-profit entities, states, local governments and federally recognized Indian tribes.

For example, two neighboring communities in rural Alaska will receive funding to complete an eight mile electrical connection (intertie). The connection will stabilize power costs for the residents of the predominantly Alaska Native communities of New Stuyahok and Ekwok. In Kamuela, Hawaii funds will be used to purchase a methane gas-fired generator to provide electricity to a produce processing facility and commercial kitchen.

The funding announced today totals more than $9.3 million. Funding for individual recipients is contingent upon their meeting the conditions of the grant agreement.

Alaska

Alaska Village Electric Cooperative, Inc.; $2,520,000 – Funding will enable construction of an electrical connection between New Stuyahok and Ekwok. The eight-mile electrical intertie will stabilize energy costs.

Denali Commission, $2,500,000; Funding will support Denali Commission assistance to the Alaska Village Electric Cooperative as it constructs an electrical intertie between the communities of Stebbins and Saint Michael.

City of Coffman Cove, $175,000; Funding will be used to provide a renewable energy interconnection to part of the City of Coffman Cove that currently generates its own electricity because it is not connected to the grid.

Hawaii

Rivertop Solutions LLC, $365,000; Funding will be used to purchase a 225 kW methane gas-fired generator. The generator will consume methane produced by an existing digester and provide electricity to a produce processing facility and a commercial kitchen. The project is designed to support the Native Hawaiian farming community on the Waimea Hawaii Homestead.

Maine

Monhegan Plantation Power District, $420,154; Funding will be used to replace the current switchgear, add a smaller, 40 kW generator to the power station’s fleet, and add a 13 kW solar array to the power station’s roof to support a community located 12 miles off the coast of Maine.

Massachusetts

Town of Gosnold, $2,146,375; Funding will be used to construct a renewable solar energy system for the community of Cuttyhunk Island. The town’s electricity is currently provided solely by oil powered generators and the proposed project will reduce fuel consumption by an estimated 50 percent.

Republic of the Marshall Islands

Island Economic and Environmental Co., $1,000,786; Funding will be used to aid the rural un-electrified Arno Atoll; providing solar powered lighting and refrigeration to 75 households in five communities.

Chuuk State, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM)

Chuuk Public Utility Company, $189,200; Funding will be used to design, procure, install, and commission an automatic capacitor bank that will save 870,000 kWh/year (or $240,000/year). The utility serves the 14,000 residents of Weno Island.

For information on Rural Development loans and grants to other rural businesses and individuals, visit Rural Development’s new interactive web map featuring program funding and success stories for fiscal years 2009-2011. The data can be found at: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/RDSuccessStories.html.

President Obama’s plan for rural America has brought about historic investment and resulted in stronger rural communities. Under the President’s leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have empowered rural America to continue leading the way – strengthening America’s economy, small towns and rural communities.

USDA, through its Rural Development mission area, has an active portfolio of more than $174 billion in loans and loan guarantees. These programs are designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers and improve the quality of life in rural America.

Hawaiʻi County police have arrested and charged a fourth suspect in connection with a robbery in a parking lot at Aliʻi Sunset Plaza in the early morning of November 26.

Kekoa Duguran

At 2:25 a.m. Tuesday (December 18), police arrested 22-year-old Kekoa Duguran of Kailua-Kona. At 6 p.m., Duguran was charged with first-degree robbery, first-degree assault and third-degree theft. He was held at the Kona police cellblock in lieu of $76,000 bail pending his initial court appearance scheduled for Wednesday (December 19).

A 26-year-old Kealakekua man reported that after he met a local man at a bar, the man took him to the northwest corner of the parking lot to meet with five or six males. They punched and kicked the victim and stole his backpack before fleeing on foot.

The victim was treated at Kona Community Hospital for a fractured jaw and minor cuts and scrapes.

Police continue to ask for help from anyone who witnessed the attack or saw the victim talking with a local male in the Coconut Grove area. The victim was wearing shorts and a striped tank top and was carrying a backpack.

Anyone with any information about this case is asked to call Detective Walter Ah Mow at 326-4646, extension 238.

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers doesn’t record calls or subscribe to caller ID. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park continues its tradition of sharing After Dark in the Park and Hawaiian cultural programs with the community and visitors throughout January – which is also Volcano Awareness Month, established by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. These programs are free, but park entrance fees may apply. Mark your calendars for these upcoming events:

Volcano Awareness Month: 30th Anniversary of Kīlauea’s Ongoing East Rift Zone Eruption. Jan. 3, 2013, marks the 30th anniversary of Kīlauea’s ongoing East Rift Zone eruption. During its first three years, spectacular lava fountains spewed episodically from Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō vent. Since then, nearly continuous lava effusion has built a vast plain of pāhoehoe lava that stretches from the volcano’s rift zone to the sea. Although the eruption has been relatively quiet during the past year, with mostly steady but unusually weak activity, it has produced some dramatic lava flows in past years. Tim Orr, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist, will review highlights from the past 30 years and talk about recent developments on Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone. Part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes’ ongoing After Dark in the Park series. Free.When: Tues., Jan. 8, 7 p.m.Where: Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium

Volcano Awareness Month: What’s Happening in Halema‘uma‘u Crater? In March 2008, a new volcanic vent opened in Halema‘uma‘u Crater at the summit of Kīlauea. Since then, the eruption has consisted of continuous degassing, occasional explosive events, and fluctuating lava lake activity in an open crater that has now grown to more than 520 feet wide. While thousands of visitors flock to see the nighttime glow emitted by the lava lake, Kīlauea’s summit eruption also provides an abundance of data and insights for scientists. USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist Matt Patrick will present an overview of Kīlauea’s summit eruption, including a survey of the volcanic processes occurring within the vent. Part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes’ ongoing After Dark in the Park series. Free.When: Tues., Jan. 15, 7 p.m.Where: Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium

Kai Ho‘opi‘i, An Evening of Hawaiian Music. Listen to the sweet voice of Kai Ho‘opi‘i, sharing the music of his ohana from Kahakuloa, Maui. Kai Ho‘opi‘i is an Aloha Festivals Hawaiian falsetto contest winner. Part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes’ ongoing Nā Leo Manu “Heavenly Voices” presentations. Free.

Volcano Awareness Month: A Below-the-Scenes Look at Kīlauea Volcano’s “Plumbing” System. The magma storage and transport system beneath a volcano can be envisioned like the plumbing system of a house. Magma “pipes” connect different reservoirs, and can feed magma toward the surface or transport it laterally beneath the surface. Thanks to over a century of research, volcanologists have a good idea of where magma is stored beneath Kīlauea and how magma moves between summit storage areas and eruption sites (which can be many miles away) along the volcano’s rift zones. USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientist Michael Poland will present a picture of what Kīlauea’s subsurface might look like based on observations from eruptions, earthquake patterns, ground deformation, chemical changes, and geologic studies. Part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes’ ongoing After Dark in the Park series. Free.When: Tues., Jan. 22, 7 p.m.Where: Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium

Volcano Awareness Month: The Story Behind Monitoring Hawaiian Volcanoes & How HVO Gets the Data It Needs to Track Eruptions and Earthquakes. Have you ever wondered how scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory get the tilt, GPS, and seismic data they need to figure out what’s happening inside Hawai‘i’s active volcanoes? Or how the images of remote volcanic activity on HVO’s website get there? HVO’s chief technical support specialist Kevan Kamibayashi will explain the installation and operation of HVO’s various monitoring sensors and how their signals are sent back to the observatory from remote locations on the volcanoes. Don’t miss this opportunity to see some of the instruments used by HVO to monitor Hawaiian eruptions and earthquakes. Part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes’ ongoing After Dark in the Park series. Free.When: Tues., Jan. 29, 7 p.m.Where: Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium